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Last recommended Christmas posting dates for the UK

In the table below are the last posting dates released by the Royal Mail. Other courier and delivery companies’ last posting dates vary, so it’s best to check them out individually, depending on what you are posting and the level of service you want to pay for.

Tuesday 18 December

2nd Class

Royal Mail Signed For® 2nd Class

Thursday 20 December

1st Class

Royal Mail Signed for 1st Class

Royal Mail Tracked 48 hour

Friday 21 December

Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour

Saturday 22 December

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed

Standing in line at the post office in the lead-up to Christmas can be particularly time-consuming, so Royal Mail has issued a few tips to ensure the process goes as smoothly as it can and that your precious parcels arrive safely:

Properly wrap your parcel before going to the post office

Clearly label your parcels or cards, and always include a postcode and a return address

Check the size and weight of your item before you post, so you know how much you can expect to pay and bring the correct postage with you.

Last international posting dates for Christmas 2018

All of the international economy posting dates have already passed, but don’t despair – the last posting dates for standard, tracking and signature services are yet to come.

Delivery companies, such as Parcel Force, may offer later dates than these, so it’s worth looking for an alternative company if you’ve left it a little late.

Christmas online shopping

With a lot of us opting to order our gifts online, it pays to know the last dates that you can order from some of the big retailers.

Not only do the dates vary, but the cost of each type of shipping will, too. Mark the final standard delivery date for your favourite online shop in your diary – this will be cheaper than using next day or priority delivery, and may even be free if you spend over a certain amount.

Before you shop, check out our guide to the best and worst online shops, to make sure you get a good experience shopping online this Christmas.

Online shop

Christmas ordering dates

Amazon

21 December – standard delivery (order by 11.59pm)

23 December – one day delivery

24 December – same day delivery in Greater London and 13 other cities (order before 12pm)